Before I reveal the answer, let me tell you a quick story. Last summer I went home to visit my family before heading out for deployment. Being a car person and out of pure curiosity, I did some basic checks on my mother’s SUV just to see if everything is up to standards. A few things came up from this quick five minute check up. The check engine light came on, coolant was low, engine seems to have a leak and tires looked long in the tooth.
I told my folks about the problems I found and told me they will take it to the shop and get it looked at. A month later, I asked my mom about the results. She said that ole hubby took it to the “stealership” and was charged over $800 for multiple problems. He got the check engine fixed caused by a bad gas cap, leak was fix and a few other things. Here’s the problem with this situation, he didn’t fix the most important thing.
From the Ground UP
What is the very first thing that touches the ground on any vehicle? Tires. Tires are the base foundation of any vehicle and without it, nothing else matters. Do you think skid control or anti-lock brakes would work well if you had bald tires? Think again. Remember to always upgrade from the ground up. It blew my mind that he would get everything else fixed and not get the tires replaced. Even a Honda Civic could out-handle and out-brake a Lamborghini in the rain if that Lamborghini had crappy tires.
Shop Around
A set of four can get really expensive if you don’t shop around. The previous owner of my car spent $1800 dollars for a set of Falken tires at Sears. I shopped around and found a superior set of Continentals for $650 which included a four-wheel alignment. That’s over $1100 dollars in savings! We don’t always have to agree on what the first store says about price. Buck the trend and always buy for as much we can stretch each dollar.
Research the tires you want to purchase and see how it stacks up against the competition. I found that going online and having the tires shipped to one of their contracted shops cost the least for the best tires. Tirebuyers.com had some great deals when I purchased a set but don’t limit yourself to just that site. There are plenty of sites, especially if the timing is right, that might have awesome promotions. Please don’t cheap out on tires. Your life depends on it.
Leave a Reply